Marion County Weed District

Noxious invasive weeds are making significant impacts to landowners in and around Marion County and throughout Oregon. Noxious weeds are impacting watersheds where they are displacing native and desirable plants, wildlife habitat, and negatively affecting timber production and the agriculture industry.

In order to be effective in the prevention and control of invasive noxious weeds it is essential to have comprehensive coordinated programs at the federal, state, county, and local levels.

Marion County, through Ordinance 1225, has created an active weed control district, pursuant to ORS 569.360. The county now has the authority to work with private landowners to assist them in controlling noxious weeds on their lands.

Goals/Justification

The Marion County Weed District's primary goals are as follows:

Educate citizens about the importance of the noxious weed issue and the negative impacts invasive weeds are having at both the county and statewide level.

Provide more flexible parameters within which county staff can work in supporting noxious weed control efforts.

The efficacy of the county’s roadside weed control efforts are often thwarted because of constant inundation by seeds or plants invading from private property. As a District, the vegetation crews have the opportunity to do some landowner contact, and follow up with recommendations for treatment types. In cases of prolonged landowner inaction, the county can choose to do some type of control treatment or contract to have the work done, and charge the expenditure to the landowner. Under the adoption of a Weed District title, county employees have the flexibility to approach landowners with issues and recommendations, and to attend to small-scale problems immediately. This ability is expected to actually reduce the time spent dealing with roadside weed issues over the seasons, as more of the basis of the problem would be attended to through better treatment and education.